A Present for the Season
by Resounding
Summary: Bones goes on a shopping adventure with a special friend to find Booth the perfect Christmas present.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones… if I did, we'd have been able to see the Squints' reactions to the news about B&B and their impending special delivery!**

**AN: Sorry if my writing seems a bit rusty, I have had a severe case of writer's block since I submitted my last story. Issues in real life, and being stressed about school, and my 6-year-old and all the tests we've had to get done… have just made it hard to come up with any good ideas to write about. I finally came up with an idea… and I know I'm lame because Christmas is now over, but I couldn't help myself in writing a short story about their first Christmas together as a family since HH and Co. decided to rob us of a good Christmas episode! This won't be a very long story… maybe 5 – 7 chapters about this length, but I'd definitely love reviews! They sure make me feel better when I'm all stressed out! :)**

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><p>It was a sunny and chilly morning in Washington D.C. There was little snow on the ground as Christmas loomed just a week away. Temperance Brennan had been trying to decide for weeks now what to give her partner, in every sense of the word, for Christmas; but so far had come up completely dry. Normally, Christmas was not a celebrated holiday for the extraordinary anthropologist, which is why it would be considered odd for her to be contemplating purchasing a gift. Christ was born in March, so why celebrate his birth in December?<p>

This year was different than all those past ones; this was their first Christmas as a couple. She may not be religious, but it didn't mean that she couldn't try to enjoy Christmas for Booth. She knew with his Catholic beliefs that it was an engrained tradition and with the fact that they soon would be welcoming _their_ child into the world, this child would grow up knowing the meaning of Christmas that Booth wanted to share. That, she knew Booth would be adamant on. She could practically hear him saying, "What kind of parents would we be if we didn't pass on the Yule Tide cheer to our child, Bones?"

She still didn't understand a lot about how relationships were supposed to work, but she was trying to learn. She wanted to learn. Booth made her incredibly happy, in fact, it was the happiest she had been since her parents disappeared. Angela was been right when she told her to remember the happy times she had with her parents, and live that life with her newly forming family. She had been happy when her family was together, and now she desperately wanted to give that happiness to her unborn child, but in order for that to happen, she would have to learn to adapt a little more and bend to Booth's traditions in a lot of personal matters. Things that meant more to him than they did to her, so why not relent a little to make him just as happy as she was?

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the doorbell. She got up slowly, as her growing stomach made her not quite as quick as she used to be, and made her way to the door. She opened it to the cheerful hollers of a young boy and was greeted with the mother of the child asking if Seeley was around. She was still uneasy dealing with this aspect of Booth's life. She loved Parker, he was a great boy, but knowing that she would be more responsible for his well-being now that she was in a relationship with his father made her a bit apprehensive. "Temperance?" the woman prompted. "Can I speak with Seeley please?"

Finally finding her voice she responded, "Oh… um, no. Sorry, he went to Sunday Mass. Maybe I can help?"

"I have an emergency at work and I can't take Parker with me… I was hoping he could spend some time with his father for the day." Rebecca said in a disappointed tone.

"Well, if you would like, Parker can stay here with me until Booth gets home?" She looked at the clock and continued, "He should be home in approximately forty-five minutes, depending on traffic."

"Really? It wouldn't be a bother would it?" She asked.

"No, really. I don't mind, besides maybe Parker can help me decide what to get his father for Christmas." Brennan responded with a smile.

"Really?" Exclaimed the young boy.

"Sure, why not? Tell Seeley I'll pick him up around seven." She said with a smile. "Thanks Temperance."

"You're welcome." Bones ushered Parker into the apartment, as goodbyes were said. Once Rebecca left, Brennan looked down at Parker. "Okay, Parker, I'm trying to figure out what I should get your father for Christmas. I want it to be special, and you're the perfect person to help me figure it out."

"You really want my help, Bones?" Parker asked excitedly.

"I could definitely use your expertise. What do you think? Are you up to the challenge?" She grinned at him.

"Sure! Can we go to the store to look around?" He asked.

"That sounds like an amendable idea." She said and reached for a pad of paper and a pen.

After writing a note to Booth that she went out and would be home by noon, the pair left on their adventures to look for the perfect present for Booth.

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><p><strong>AN: Please don't forget to review! Give me ideas, anything! What kind of stuff do you want to see in this story? I want this to be kind of an ad-lib story where I get some of my ideas in chapters based on feedback from my readers! Maybe some ideas on gifts would be helpful too! I'm drawing a blank!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or any of the characters in it, although it's nice to dream sometimes!**

**A/N: YAY! Here's another chapter! I've decided that each chapter will be their adventures in a different store. I think it would be kind of fun and even comical! Thanks for the reviews! Although I'd like more of them lol, but what author wouldn't? Now, on with the show!**

A young curly haired boy and a world renown forensic anthropologist made their way through a packed parking lot as it started to snow. They looked at each other and Parker giggled as he said to Brennan, "I'll race ya inside, Bones!" and the boy took off for the nearest entrance.

"Hey! That's not fair! I can't very well keep up with a boy of your mobility in my present condition!" she hollered after him and followed him at a slightly quicker pace, but was forced to slow down when she nearly slipped on a patch of snowy slush on the ground. Once she finally reached the boy's side he looked at her with a grin. The same grin a certain handsome FBI agent used on her frequently. Parker definitely inherited his father's charm.

"Let's go inside, Bones! It's freezing out here! You'll catch your death!" He said as he opened the door for her.

She laughed at the ridiculousness of his statement. "You can't catch death… death is not a tangible object, Parker." That remark rewarded her with a set of eyes rolled at her. "Oh, you were being facetious."

"What does that mean?" He tilted his head up to her and asked once she'd followed him in the mall.

"It means you were being funny, or telling a joke." She said with a smile.

"Oh, yeah… then yes I was being facetious." He tried the word out on his tongue, and then made a face. "That's a weird word, Bones."

They walked down the foyer in the mall and Parker spied a sports store. "Can we go look in there, Bones? My dad loves sports!"

"Sure, but I don't know if sports apparel and paraphernalia is quite what I had in mind for your father. I was thinking something a little more personal; something special." She said as she followed the boy inside.

"I just wanna look around for a second… my parents hate coming to the mall so I never get a chance to check out what's in here." he said an she nodded her okay before the excited boy took off toward the back of the store.

Brennan wandered slowly around the store looking at all of the items on the shelves. She spotted a pair of black and aqua-blue soccer cleats and remembered hearing Booth having an argument recently on the phone with his ex as to who was going to get Parker his soccer shoes for the upcoming season. She wasn't sure what size Parker wore, but basing it off the size of footprints the boy left in the slush on their journey into the mall, she determined that the ones in her sights were the perfect size. She picked them up and headed to the cash register, making sure Parker was out of eyesight. She set the box on the counter and quickly paid for them. She smiled her thanks to the cashier as the young man placed the box into a large brown paper sack with blue handles and handed it to her.

That was the moment Parker decided to poke his head up next to the bag and ask, "What'd you buy, Bones? Did you find dad a present?"

She smiled at the boy. "No, it's a gift for a very special friend of mine, Parker. How about we go look around in another store to see if we can find something?" She asked.

"Okay!" He said and ran towards the exit as Brennan waddled after him. She stopped just short of where Parker stood when she heard someone call her name. She turned around and was surprised to see who was standing before her.

"Russ? What are you doing here?" She asked, confused. She knew he didn't live in the D.C. area.

"We brought the girls to town to see dad for Christmas. Dad wanted to surprise you… Surprise?" He smiled a goofy smile.

"Well, it's good to see you. How are things?" She asked.

"Things are great, Tempe… and by the looks of things, you're doing great yourself!" He reached out and touched her swollen stomach tenderly. "I can't believe you're actually going to make me an uncle! I never thought I'd see the day when little Temperance had a baby." He smiled.

"I'm not little anymore, Russ." She corrected.

"I know that, but you'll always be my little sister. So, is it a boy or girl?" He asked eagerly.

"We're having a girl." She smiled softly as she let her hand drift down to her stomach.

"I still can't believe you two finally hooked up. Dad and I were beginning to wonder if was ever going to happen. So, anyway, what are you doing here? I know how much you hate shopping." He gestured around to the mall with his hand.

"Parker and I came in search for a gift for his father." She explained. "So far we haven't had much luck."

"I'm sure you'll find the perfect gift." He hugged her again. "I really should get going, Tempe… I'll see you soon okay? You take care of my little niece now."

After Russ disappeared from sight, Parker looked up at her and said, "Who was that?"

"That was my brother." She smiled. "Enough standing around talking though, my feet and back are beginning to ache, so let's go look around some more. Your father will probably be home from church soon and will want to spend some time with you." And with that, the two set off in the direction of another store.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to push that comment button for me! :) I'd like some ideas on what you would think would be fun to have in the story!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hello people! I have been updating my chapters and fixing a few errors I found. I've also decided after almost 3 years, that I'm going to finally finish this story! Sorry for the delay, life kind of got away from me for a while. I'll get a fresh chapter out soon!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.**

The anthropologist and the curly haired boy walked into a store across from the sports store they had just left. The Radio Shack employee greeted them warmly. "Can I help you find anything?" He asked.

Brennan smiled politely at the young man. "Thank you, although we are just browsing at the moment." She and Parker walked down the aisles looking for something that Booth would like.

"What about that?" Parker asked as he pointed at an RC car.

"A toy?" Brennan asked surprised.

"It's not a toy, Bones… it's a radio control car!" He explained. "Dad and I love to take them out to the park and drive them around."

"I can understand how a boy your age would enjoy that, but your father? He doesn't just watch you play with it?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"A man is never too old for RC cars." She heard from a familiar voice behind her.

She turned around to see Jared.

"Uncle Jared!" Parker exclaimed.

"Hey there buddy!" He kneeled down as the boy barreled into him for a hug. Jared looked up at Bones. "What are you two up to?" he said with a smile.

Parker rushed on to explain. "We're looking for a Christmas present for my dad. Bones said she needed my help picking something out."

Jared ruffled Parker's hair. "Well that's mighty nice of you to help Temperance out." His eyes roamed over Brennan's extended midsection. "Wow, you look like you're about ready to pop."

"That's impossible. The uterus and stomach muscles are too tough to cause an eruption like you are speaking of." She corrected.

Parker rolled his eyes and Jared laughed and continued. "It just means that you look like you're about ready to have that baby."

"Oh, I see. Then, yes… I am nearing the end of this pregnancy. I have about eight weeks left, although there is a chance the child could come anywhere between 37 to 42 weeks gestation." She explained with a smile.

"Pregnancy suits you, Temperance. You look absolutely stunning." He gushed.

"Thank you, Jared. Although, Booth is always complaining that I take up too much room in his kitchen. I keep telling him we should move in together, but we haven't agreed upon a decent dwelling to share yet." She rambled on. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, including Booth, but she was actually a little nervous about having the baby. Not because she was nervous about the birth itself, but because she worried that her capabilities as a parent might fall short.

"I'm sure you two will finally agree on something sooner or later." he commented, and then continued, "Well, it was nice to see you again Temperance, but I should get heading out. Padme is expecting me home soon." He ruffled Parker's hair again and knelt down in front of him. "I'll see you next week okay, bud?"

"See you later Uncle Jared!" Parker hugged him and returned to Brennan's side.

After Jared left, Brennan and Parker looked around the store for a little longer. "What about this GPS? That way Booth could stop using his phone while driving."

"What's a GPS?" Parker asked.

"It's a device used to help you find an address. You input the address and it gives you directions on how to get there." She explained with an amused smile.

Parker made a face. "That doesn't sound like a very cool Christmas present, Bones… it sounds boring. I still think you should get him the RC car."

Brennan chuckled lightly. "We'll see, okay? If we can't find something else more appropriate we can come back and get the toy car."

Parker groaned. "It's not a toy, it's an electronic car. Toys are for babies."

Looking for a gift for Booth was turning out to be a lot harder than it should have been. How could it be so difficult to find a decent present for him? Especially when she had so much money to her disposal. She wasn't sure how she'd ever get used to this aspect of their relationship. Now she would have to go out every year to find something special. If she was having such a difficult time this year, what's to say that the following years would be any easier? She groaned inwardly at that thought. _I'm not very adept at this gift giving thing._

"When they reached the back of the store she saw a 42" flat screen television. "Your father has been wanting one of these for a while… I could get him one."

Parker's eyes bulged when he saw the price tag. "Wouldn't he get mad if you got him something that expensive? He's always complaining that his income will never compare to what you make."

"You make an excellent point, Parker…" she said with a sigh. "Well how about we move onto the next store then? Everything here is pretty high in price, so your father probably wouldn't appreciate me getting him any of the other items here either."

"Except the RC car… I'm telling you Bones, he loves those things!"

"I still don't understand how a fully grown male could indulge in playing with toy cars." She said with an exasperated sigh.

"I told you, Bones… it's not a toy… It's…" he tried to think of the right word so she might understand. "It's an artifact." He explained.

Brennan arched an eyebrow. "An artifact?"

"Yes, it's like all the bones and stuff you collect, but it's a car for guys like me and my dad to collect. All guys like cars!" He pointed out.

"I'm sure not _all_ men like cars…" she started.

"Okay, maybe not all, but most. Now I'm starting to see why my dad gets so annoyed…" he teased and poked her in the side. "Okay let's go and try the next store then, Bones."

"Good idea." The two made their way out of the store and started their journey in the direction of the next store.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's the first chapter I've written for this story in almost 3 years! Let's hope it doesn't turn out too bad!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, but a girl can dream right?**

As Temperance Brennan and Parker Booth walked down the corridor in search of another store to browse, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. It was a clothing store called "Anthropologie." She pondered this for a moment, then decided it was a ridiculous notion. Not only was the word spelled wrong, stylish clothing in a department store had NOTHING to do with Anthropology. She wrinkled her nose and continued walking, Parker right beside her.

Parker and Brennan eventually entered JC Penny. For several minutes they walked around in silence, until Brennan spotted a rack of ornately decorated picture frames. She eyed one that was shaped like a tree, and picked it up. The bottom was painted dark brown and was shaped like a tree trunk with leaves painted on the upper part of the trunk. Instead of branches full of leaves sprouting from the top of the trunk, it had six 5x7 inch frames that branched out from the trunk with the edges of the frames overlapping the edges of some of the other frames giving it a nice tree-like shape. In the middle of the trunk were the words 'Our Family' and beneath that in smaller letters that read: 'Growing memories one smile at a time.' It was perfect. "This is it... Booth will love it."

At that moment Brennan felt a tug on her left elbow. She looked over and smiled at Parker as he asked, "a picture frame? That's what you're buying him?!" He sighed in exasperation. "How boring!"

Brennan chuckled at him. "I have the perfect photos to put in it. Besides, your father is big on family, so I'm sure he will enjoy it."

Parker rolled his eyes. "If you say so..." he muttered, non-committaly.

The two of them made their way up to the cash register. After paying for the frame, the two of them left the store and Brennan took them back in the direction they had just come from moments before. "Since you've been so patient, Parker... I'm going to let you buy your dad the Remote Control Car." She said with a smile.

"Really Bones?! That's awesome!" The boy ran off excitedly back to the Radio Shack store and turned around to wait for Brennan, who was waddling past the last two stores to reach him.

Once they purchased the RC car that Parker thought was the perfect combination of colors for his dad, the two of them headed towards the food court for some much needed lunch. Brennan found that she was actually anticipating Christmas this year a bit more than she ever expected to; she assumed it was because she was secretly excited to give Booth his Christmas present. Shopping for Booth for the holiday wasn't as bad as she expected to be. She was able to spend some quality time bonding with her mate's son, as well as her daughter's half-brother. She always did enjoy spending time with the Booth men, including Pops.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short, but I'm trying to ease back into this. Be gentle in the reviews! I promise I'll write more stories after finishing this one if ya'll leave me some feedback! I'm considering doing a Fringe/Bones crossover story, what do you guys think of something like that? I would LOVE to be able to write Brennan trying to make sense of the "impossible!" :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I've decided to try to do one more chapter tonight, then maybe I'll update tomorrow with another one... the more encouragement I get, the faster I'll post new chapters. :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. :(**

After having a nice lunch with Parker, the two of them had decided it was time to head back to Booth's apartment. He would be home from church soon, and he didn't even know that his son was with her. When they arrived, Brennan grabbed the gifts from the back of her car and the two of them made their way up to the apartment. Once inside, they shed their jackets and Brennan placed the bags on the kitchen counter. Thankfully Booth wasn't home yet. At that moment, her phone vibrated. She lifted it up and smiled when the object of affection that was currently occupying her mind was letting her know that he was going to pick up some milk and a few other items from the store and would be home within the hour.

Brennan smiled and made a short reply. His message meant that they had time to wrap Booth's presents. She pulled out the wrapping paper Booth had shoved in the hall closet, and located some scissors and tape. She handed them to Parker and asked him if he wanted to wrap the RC car for his father.

The boy exclaimed happily, "I would love to! My mom never lets me wrap presents. I think she's OCD about them not being perfectly wrapped or something. Thanks Bones, for letting me wrap something!" He set down the tape, paper, and scissors and threw his arms around Brennan's belly."

"You're welcome." She hugged him back with a soft smile. "I'm going to go prepare the rest of my gift to your father, are you going to be okay in here by yourself?"

Parker rolled his eyes. "I'm not a baby, Bones... of course I'll be okay."

Chagrined, she replied, "I didn't mean to insinuate you were an infant, I just meant... I just meant, are you okay to wrap your father's present without help?"

"Oh. Yeah. I'm fine, Bones." He smiled reassuringly. "You better hurry and go finish before my dad gets home."

With that she walked into Booth's bedroom and pulled out the photo album she knew he kept in the bottom drawer of his dresser. She sat on the bed and thumbed through the pages slowly, trying to find a few specific photos. The first photo was one of Booth and Brennan laughing in her office that Angela had snapped one day without ever even being noticed. One morning Brennan had found a copy of this photo under her office door waiting for her. Booth had found one just like it slid under his office door at the federal building. She would have to replace the one in his album soon, since she didn't have her copy with her, but she was sure Booth wouldn't mind her borrowing photos.

She slipped the photo out of the book and continued searching through the pages for photo number two. When she found it she smiled. It was a close-up of Parker from the waist up. He was in his soccer uniform and holding a soccer ball under his arm. It was a photo Brennan had taken at one of the games she had attended with Booth last spring. She remembered that Parker's team had won that game 7-0.

The next were photos from a professional shoot. Last month Booth wanted to get some family pictures done. He had reasoned that they may not be married, but they were still a family and families got their pictures taken together. Brennan had never been too fond of having her photo taken, but she supposed she could do it for Booth. There were a total of three shots. One was of Booth and his son, one was of Booth and Brennan, and the last one was of all three of them together with Booth holding his hands over Brennan's rounded belly, and Parker had his hand under one of his father's, almost like a family maternity shoot. In the photo, Booth and Brennan were looking at each other with gentle smiles while Parker smiled at her abdomen with the excitement of being a big brother gleaming in his eyes.

Brennan put the photo album away and took the photos to the kitchen and pulled the picture frame out of the bag. She glanced over to see Parker's progress on wrapping his father's present. There were strands of paper all around him, he even had a small ribbon that had gotten stuck to the back of his head somehow, which made her chuckle to herself quietly. The present was only about half wrapped at this point, but Parker seemed to be enjoying himself.

Brennan turned back to her task and busied herself placing the photos in the different frames located on the wall hanging. When she was finished she realized there was still one empty frame. She smiled widely as she realized she had the perfect picture to add to the masterpiece. She grabbed her laptop bag from near the couch and rummaged around inside until she found what she was looking for. She pulled it up and looked at it. It was a sonogram picture of their daughter from two days before that Booth hadn't seen yet.

After placing the sonogram in the remaining frame, she held it up and looked at it. "What do you think, Parker?"

Parker stood up and walked over to stand beside Brennan. He looked over the entire frame and took in each photo. He smiled and looked towards her. "You were right, Bones. He's going to love it. I know how much my dad loves those photos we just got done, so I think this will make him happy."

She gently ran her fingers through Parker's hair, and hugged him to her. "I'm glad you approve. Now it's time to wrap it..." She smiled as she watched Parker go back to finishing his wrapping project.

Brennan took a few minutes to look for a box to put the frame in to wrap it. Once she found one the perfect size, she finished the wrapping process just in time to hear the door open. She glanced over at Parker who was just setting the tape down, having also just finished wrapping his present to his father. "We did it just in time, Bones!"

"Did what just in time?" Booth asked as he entered the room and saw the mess of wrapping paper all around his son, who was sitting on the floor. Booth laughed when he took in the sight of his son wearing pieces of tape all over, from his knees, all the way to his hair. Not to mention the bow that was still stuck in the back of his head. "It looks like someone had fun with the wrapping paper... speaking of which, when did you get here, Bud?" he asked and put the groceries away.

Parker stood up in a whirl of tape and wrapping paper, like a mini tornado, and ran to his dad and gave him a hug. "Mom dropped me off because she had to work. Me and Bones went to the mall and got you some Christmas presents!"

"Oh, really?" Booth asked and looked over at Bones. He grinned when he saw her disheveled appearance from trying to quickly prepare his gift. "I'm glad you two had a good time." Booth reached down and grabbed the haphazardly wrapped gift that Parker abandoned in his haste to give his dad a hug. He pressed his ear to the box and shook it gently, trying to hear the contents inside. "What's in here, Park?"

Parker shook his head violently and replied, "I'm not telling! You'll have to wait until Christmas!"

"Fair enough," Booth called over his shoulder with a smile as he took the gift and set it under the tree he had set up in the living room the week before. Booth walked over to Brennan and wrapped his arms as much around her as he could in her extremely pregnant state and pressed a kiss to her lips. "You gonna tell me what's in that box?" He nodded to the box she had just wrapped.

She grinned up at him. "Like Parker said, you'll have to wait until Christmas!" She exclaimed as she stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

**Okay, I went with kind of a longer chapter this time I think... It seemed long... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little piece of fluff! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for those who have reviewed my latest two chapters! It's motivating when an old story such as this instantly starts bringing in more reviews! Here's the latest chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do you really have to ask? As usual, I down own Bones and I'm not affiliated with Fox...**

A week had passed since Brennan and Parker had gone shopping for Booth's Christmas gifts. It was Christmas Eve and the dynamic duo had just wrapped up their latest case. Brennan was sitting in her office writing up her report when a head appeared in her doorway.

"What are you still doing here?" Angela asked. She was a little annoyed to see her friend still in her office instead of at home with her budding family. _What's wrong with her? Oh, what am I talking about, this is Temperance Brennan we're talking about here,_ she thought to herself. There was no way Angela was letting her friend be a workaholic on Christmas Eve; she belonged at home with a hunky FBI agent.

Brennan finished typing the last part of her report and saved the document as she looked up and smiled at Angela. "I was just finishing up my report." Brennan was actually really excited to spend this Christmas with Booth. She was more excited than she'd ever been in her entire life to see how Booth was going to react to her gifts. She had spent the better part of the last week making some arrangements for a surprise she had in store for Booth. She only stayed to finish her report because she was sure she wouldn't want to do it upon returning to work after the holiday. It was just better to get it done and over with and not have to worry about it later.

"It's Christmas Eve, Bren... you could always do that when you come in after Christmas," remarked the forensic artist as she crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently.

"I know, but it doesn't matter now because it's finished." Angela eyed her suspiciously as she watched the anthropologist turn off her computer and stand up.

"Have you even gotten him a gift?" Asked Angela. She stopped tapping her foot and leaned against the door frame with her arms still crossed.

This made Brennan's eyes bulge out slightly as she admonished the artist. "Of course I did! What kind of person do you think I am?" Of course she would get a gift for the father of her child. In fact, she put a lot of thought and preparation into what she had planned for Booth.

Little did Angela know she'd be eating her words later on. "You're a wonderful person, but sometimes you're forgetful in the gift department," offered Angela.

"I'm not forgetful, I just never really saw the point in gifts. Why would giving something to somebody tell them that you care? You can show you care in many other ways." Brennan retorted with a sigh. "Rebecca dropped Parker off last weekend while Booth was at Sunday Mass and the two of us went to the mall to pick something out. I even managed to sneak in a gift for Parker," she said with a smile.

With that, her phone started ringing. Brennan looked down at her phone, it was Booth calling. Probably trying to figure out why she hadn't come home yet. "Brennan," she answered.

"Hey, Bones. Where are you?" Asked the voice on the other end of the line.

"I just finished my report, Booth. I'll be home soon."

Booth chuckled through the phone. "You could have waited until after Christmas, Bones."

Brennan rolled her eyes absentmindedly, "I know, Angela just said the same thing. I'm finished now. I'll see you soon." After ending the call with Booth, she glanced up at Angela who was watching her with an amused smile.

Angela walked into the office and walked up to her friend and encompassed her in a hug. "Merry Christmas, Bren."

Brennan smiled and hugged her in return. "Thank you, I hope you and Hodgins have a wonderful holiday." She paused, as she shoved her phone in her pocket. "I should get home..." She grabbed her jacket and her bag and the two of them left the lab.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

When Brennan arrived home to Booth's apartment, she smelled an array of freshly cooked foods in the air. She could hear softly playing Christmas music in the background and almost rolled her eyes, until she heard a child giggle. She peeked around the corner into the kitchen to see Booth and his son icing a cake in chocolate fudge frosting. Once the final touches had been added to the cake, Booth grabbed the wooden spoon they'd been using and dabbed a small amount of chocolate on his finger, then reached out and smeared it down Parker's nose. "Ha! Gotcha!"

"Hey!" Parker cried out. "I'll get you back for that!" Parker chased his father to the sink and wiped his face all over the back of Booth's shirt as booth placed the dirty dishes in the sink.

"Great. Thanks, Park... now I have to go change my shirt." He muttered as he turned around and caught Brennan watching them from the doorway with a wide smile plastered across her face. "Heya, Bones... How long have you been standing there?"

Brennan pushed off the door frame and waddled towards the father of her child. When she reached him she rested her hand on his chest and smiled up to him. "Long enough to see you picking on Parker."

"I was just showing him I love him," Booth grinned. "I can show you, if you want..." Unbeknownst to Brennan, Booth still had the wooden spoon covered in frosting in his hand. He used this moment to catch her off guard, then reached out and smeared some of the dark, creamy goodness on her lips and across her cheek.

"Booth!" She admonished.

A huge grin spread across his face like wildfire as he ducked his head down and licked the chocolate off her cheek, then averted his mouth to lick the tiny morsel off her lips. This action elicited a gasp from his partner. From behind them, they could hear Parker's groan. "Get a room you two!"

Booth grinned as he pulled away from Brennan. "Rebecca is going to a Christmas party tonight, but wants Parker for Christmas morning so she'll be by around midnight to pick him up. I figured we could have our Christmas here tonight if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind, Booth. I know how important it is to you to spend what little time with your son you can for Christmas." She rubbed his upper arm gently and sniffed at the smell of hot food in the air. "The food smells great, what did you make?"

"Parker and I made a team effort in buying a pre-cooked turkey that we just finished warming up. However, for you we also have some organic potato salad, strawberry jello, and organic squash. There's also some warm dinner rolls."

Parker helped his father set the table for dinner. Once all of the food was placed in easy reach on the table, glasses were filled with eggnog, Booth passed around the basket of dinner rolls. He looked around the table at Parker and Brennan and asked himself how he had gotten so lucky. Not only was he able to spend Christmas Eve with his son this year, he was also spending it with his best friend, the love of his life, and the mother of his unborn daughter. Finally Booth had the family he had always wanted. It may not be quite the way he envisioned it, as a married couple, but it was enough for Booth. He smiled at his family and set to the task of eating the delicious food he and Parker had just prepared.

**A/N: Thanks for reading guys! I hope you liked this chapter! I'm thinking there will be one more chapter to cover their little Christmas celebration, and maybe an Epilogue if I can find the right way to do it, but there will for sure be at least ONE more chapter! As always, please review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is going to be the final chapter of the story, and it's the longest chapter yet! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and thank you also to my silent readers! :) Sometime in the next 24-hours I will post the Epilogue. Anyway, on with the show! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, please don't sue... I already have $60,000 of student debt!**

Once dinner was finished Booth and Brennan cleaned up the kitchen while Parker watched "A Christmas Carol" on the tv in the living room. Booth was standing at the sink rinsing off the last few dishes when he felt Brennan come up behind him and place a kiss to the back of his shoulder. Booth set the plate in the dish drainer and turned around to face Brennan. He smiled softly at her and cupped her cheek in his right hand as he placed a gentle and loving kiss on her lips. Booth felt like the luckiest man on the planet. If someone had asked Booth seven years ago if he'd have thought his life would be where it is now, he would have laughed at them. He thanked God every day that he finally 'got the girl.'

"You ready to open presents, Booth?" She smiled up at him lovingly.

"Are you kidding? I've been ready for a week, Bones!" He grinned.

Brennan reached out and entwined her fingers with his as she dragged him to the front room. It was obvious to Booth that something had her extremely excited, which was surprising to him because he never expected to see her so Gung-Ho over Christmas. He didn't question it; instead he let her lead him into the living room to sit on the couch near the tree.

Parker looked up from his movie with excitement twinkling in his eyes. "Is it time for presents now?" asked the curly haired boy.**  
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Brennan smiled and nodded at him. "Do you want to do the honor of passing out the gifts, Parker?" she asked him.

Parker was off the couch and over to the tree in what seemed like a millisecond. He started pulling the gifts out one at a time and stacked them in three different piles. Once he had gone through all of the gifts, he pushed the pile for his dad over in front of him, and the pile for Brennan in front of her, then sat on the floor next to his heaping pile of presents.

"Tear it up, bud!"

Booth and Brennan sat there for awhile with her head leaning on his shoulder as they watched Parker open his presents. Booth wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. It didn't take long for Parker to open everything except one gift that remained. It was the gift that Brennan had purchased for him the day of their shopping adventure. Brennan watched with an amused smile as the boy tore the paper off the box, revealing a pair of soccer cleats. Parker stammered in shock, "Really?! These are like the most expensive soccer cleats in existence! I've always wanted a pair of these, but mom always said they were too much money..."

Booth didn't remember buying those, he looked at his partner with a raised eyebrow. "Did you buy those?" He asked her softly.

Her only reply was a soft nod, not moving her head from his shoulder. "I remembered hearing you on the phone with Rebecca arguing about who was going to buy him the next pair. I saw these on our trip to the mall last week and figured they would be perfect." She smiled.

"Thanks Bones!" Parker jumped up and practically flew over to the couch, throwing himself down next to her and hugging her.

"You're welcome, Parker. I'm glad you like them." She smiled at him and hugged him back.

"Now it's time for you two to open your presents!" Parker exclaimed.

Booth reached down and picked up a gift from the floor in front of him. It was the one that Parker had wrapped for him. He tore the paper off the haphazardly wrapped gift to reveal a black, red, and blue colored RC car. "Sweet!" Booth exclaimed.

Brennan chuckled from her spot next to him at his child-like glee over a toy car.

Parker smiled. "I'm glad you like it! I picked it out, but Bones paid for it. She kept calling it a toy, but I told her it's not a toy, it's an artifact." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Well thank you, both of you." He smiled and kissed Brennan on the cheek before setting the car down and reaching down to grab another gift. This one was wrapped in funny pages from the newspaper and was obviously from his son. Inside was a Christmas wreath that was made and decorated by Parker at school. It read 'The Booth Family' on the top of it. "This is really nice, Parker! Did you make it?"

Parker nodded with pride and smiled excitedly.

"Thanks, bud"

"You're welcome, dad!"

Booth reached down and picked up another gift. He slowly ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a plain box. He set the box down on his lap and looked at Brennan. "I'm not opening this until you open something." He reached down and picked up a gift and handed it to her.

She smiled and accepted the gift he offered her. She slowly slid her finger under the edges of the wrapping paper and gently unwrapped the gift. Inside the paper was a Maurices clothing box. She opened the box to find several onesies for the baby. The first one was pink and had the words 'Trust me, my mom's a genius!' Brennan smiled and held it up so Parker could see it. After Parker had given it the once-over Brennan set it down and picked up the second one, which said 'Scientist in training.' This one made Brennan giggle. "How did you find these, Booth?"

He grinned at her. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Isn't that why I asked?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Are you going to look at the last one?" He said with a soft smile.

She set down the second one and picked up the last one. She laughed when she read it. "I'm acute baby," she read out loud. Beneath the words was a picture of an acute angle. "I love them, Booth! I think our daughter will look adorable in them." She folded them and set them back in the box for safe keeping then handed the box to Booth to set down on the floor.

Satisfied that Bones had finally opened something, Booth opened the box he had sitting on his lap. Inside he found an ornate tree-shaped wall hanging with pictures Brennan had chosen for it. Booth took a moment to look over the entire object before looking up at Brennan with a lopsided grin. "Thanks, Bones... I love it!"

She smiled back at him. "As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it for you."

Booth set down the wall hanging gently and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug.

Brennan wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that overcame her at that moment. She knew Booth would like it, but the expression on his face as he looked it over was enough to send her pregnant body into a mess of hormones. She leaned into him and kissed his cheek as he slid another gift into her hand.

She looked down at the small package that was also wrapped in funny papers. She smiled and began carefully opening the package to find a First Place Prize ribbon from the science fair. She looked over at Parker. "You got first place?" she asked.

He nodded exuberantly. "They gave me two different ribbons for it... since you helped me with my project I wanted you to have one of them."

"Thank you, Parker." She beamed at the boy and placed the ribbon on her lap.

"You're welcome, Bones."

While the two were talking, Booth took that moment to reach down and grab his last gift. He began shredding the paper and pulled out another box from within the wrapping paper. When he opened it he found a manila folder and a 5x7 inch decorative spiral notebook. It was black with pink roses adorning each corner. In the middle of the book in big bold, silver lettering it said 'Reasons Why I Want to Marry You.' He opened the book to find her perfect handwriting outlining in detailed and descriptive writing all the reasons why she loves him and can't imagine her life without him. He looked up from the book to see her eagerly watching him. A grin broke across his face. "Do you mean it? You want to get married, Bones?"

She nodded, unable to speak. She had butterflies still swimming around in her stomach, even though she knew that having butterflies flying around in her stomach was impossible.

He leaned over and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered into her lips.

She didn't realize she had been holding her breath until now. She swallowed and responded. "I love you, too. Are you going to look in the folder?"

In the excitement of his gift he had forgotten about the folder. Sheepishly he looked down at the folder and picked it up and opened it. There were a few sheets of paper inside, but the first one was an application for a marriage license. She had already filled it out, it just needed to be turned in. The second paper was a deed to their new home. The one that she knew Booth secretly loved, but refused to tell her because of the price tag attached. He gawked at her in surprise.

"I knew you loved that house when you saw it in the brochure... and before you complain, I didn't pay for it. Neither of us-"

Booth interrupted her, "If you didn't pay for it, then who did?"

"I was getting to that if you'd settle down." She smiled at him warmly. "Angela and Hodgins paid for it. I had mentioned to Angela last month that you really liked the house, but I knew you'd never let me buy it..." She paused and licked her dry lips. "Angela brought me the Deed a few days ago and said that I wouldn't be taking no for an answer. She insisted that I give it to you for Christmas."

"Wow... I don't know what to say, Bones..." Booth ran a hand through his hair.

"Say that you'll move into it with me..."

"Of course I will... When... when can we move into it?" He stumbled over his words in his excitement.

"I hoped we could start the preparations after Christmas." She smiled.

"Anything for you..." He kissed her again then looked over at Parker who was being shockingly quiet. "What do you think, bud?"

"I can't wait to see the new house!" Exclaimed the boy.

Booth chuckled. "I meant, what do you think about me marrying Bones?"

"I think it's a great idea... I mean you love her, and she loves you... so getting married would be the next step, right?" he asked.

"Of course it is... but I wanted to make sure you were okay with this, too. Your opinion matters to me, son." He grabbed his son by the hands and pulled him on his lap. He put an arm around Brennan and the other around his son and hugged them both simultaneously.

"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters, dad." He said.

"Well, in that case... I have something else for you Bones." Parker got off his dad's lap and Booth stood up and disappeared into the bedroom for a minute. He came back out and knelt down in front of Brennan. In his palm he held a small, black velvet box. He opened it and locked eyes with Brennan as he took her left hand in his and slid the ring on her ring finger. "It was my mother's."

She looked at the ring, then back to him and smiled at him lovingly. "It's beautiful," she said, the words getting caught in her throat that was thick with emotion.

"Not as beautiful as you are." He leaned forward and kissed her passionately. They felt as if the rest of the world had fallen away and left just the two of them there swimming in each other's gaze. The love the two of them shared was ones that had tested many bounds, but finally came full circle. This was definitely the best Christmas either of them ever had and Brennan hadn't even opened her last two gifts that Booth had gotten her.

They were so wrapped up in their emotions for each other that neither of them heard the blond, curly-haired boy groan and tell them to get a room. The only thing they could see was each other. The only thing they could hear was the beating of their hearts mingling together as they closed the gap between them for another passionate kiss; the remaining gifts forgotten.

THE END

**A/N: And here is the final chapter, as promised! There will be an epilogue posted hopefully sometime tomorrow. If not it will be Saturday since I don't have to work that day. Please review!**


	8. Epilogue

**A/N: It feels good knowing that many years later, I have finally finished this story. I always did hate leaving things unfinished... I only remembered this story because a few days back someone favorited it. I can't remember who it was at this point, but THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME REMEMBER! :) Thank you everyone for your support and for reading! Without further ado... here is the Epilogue I promised! Note: I do say "Their 6th Christmas" because if you think about it, 5 years later would technically be Christmas #6, just so people don't get confused!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.**

Epilogue:

~5 years later~

It was Christmas again in the Booth household. A lot had happened since their first Christmas together. Just after New Years they moved into their new home that Angela and Hodgins purchased for them. A couple of months later they welcomed their daughter Christine into the world, and by the summer Booth and Brennan had married in a small ceremony at Booth's church that included their close family and friends with Parker being his father's ring bearer.

On Christmas Eve of their third Christmas together as a family, Brennan broke the news to her husband that they would be having a new addition to their family soon. She was already seven weeks pregnant. Booth, of course, had been overjoyed to hear the news. He had never wanted anything more than a house full of children with laughter ringing through the halls and the small pitter-patter of tiny feet on the carpet and hardwood floors with the love of his life there beside him through all of it.

Their second daughter Ellie was born on August 11th the following summer. She was born with her mother's fiery hair and intellect, but her father's chocolate eyes and attitude. Her labor with Ellie had been much more intensive than it had been with Christine, whose birth had been considerably easier and quicker than it was expected to be for her first delivery. Ellie's labor lasted 32 hours and she ended up being born through a cesarean birth when she refused to drop fully into the birthing canal. From the day she was born, Ellie was definitely as stubborn as her parents.

On their 6th Christmas as a family, they sat around the fireplace in their new home while Parker told Christmas stories to Christine and Ellie. The two girls were always in awe of their older brother, who was now 15-years-old.

Booth came up and sat beside his wife on the floor in front of the couch. He leaned over and kissed her on the top of her head as he reached down to graze his knuckles over the soft, dark hair of the newest member of the Booth family. Andrew had been born on Halloween, making him nearly two months old. He was fast asleep in his mother's arms as she relaxed and tucked herself and the baby into Booth's side. He slid his arm around her shoulders and glanced over at his children with the familiar swell of pride filling his chest. He was officially the happiest man on Earth, even though he could hear Bones in his mind telling him that he couldn't possibly know that.

Booth had everything he could ever want or hope for right there in the room. He had four beautiful children and the most amazing wife a man could ever ask for. He tilted his head towards his wife and kissed her temple. "You want me to put him to bed?" he asked her softly.

She shook her head lightly. "I'm not ready to let go of this moment yet," she whispered. She had never anticipated that she would ever feel the way she was feeling at the present moment. Full and complete. She loved her children very much, and she loved Parker and her husband just as much. She knew that these years with their children would be over before they knew it, and she was clinging on to this moment as if she were afraid it would slip through her fingers never to be felt again. Parker was living proof that their children wouldn't be small for very long, he was already in high school! Brennan remembered the day she first met Parker all those years ago when he was just 4-years-old with his inquisitive eyes that were always watching and learning from those around him. Seeing the young man he had become filled her with a sense of pride. Parker may not be her biological child, but she loved him just as much as if he were one of her own.

As Parker's Christmas tale came to a close, his little sisters jumped up and hugged their big brother. Almost 5-year-old Christine, and 3-year-old Ellie wrapped themselves around his legs, one child per leg. Laughter filled the air as Parker stomped around the living room like a robot letting his sisters cling to his legs and be carried around with him. It was obvious to anyone watching that Parker loved his sisters more than anything else in the world.

Booth and Brennan snuggled closer to each other and laughed at their children's obvious merriment. This is how the holidays were supposed to be, and this is what it meant to be a family. It meant spending time together telling stories by the fire while sipping on hot cocoa and spiced cider, stomping around the house like a robot with little sisters clinging on and giggling incessantly, and putting milk and cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

Booth looked at the clock and realized it was nearly midnight. "I think it's time to get them all to bed, it's almost time for Santa Claus to make his yearly visit." His eyes twinkled at her as he flashed a toothy grin.

Brennan nodded her head in agreement, although reluctant to let this moment slip through their fingers. She stood up with the help of Booth since she still had their newest bundle of joy nestled contentedly in her arms. Brennan leaned up and kissed her husband softly, then smiled at him before she took the baby and put him to bed.

Booth clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, it's time to put out a snack for Santa, then off to bed if you want presents in the morning!" He ushered the girls into the kitchen to put out the sugar cookies they helped their mother and Parker bake earlier that day on a plate. And a glass of milk... Santa's snack wasn't complete without the milk.

After they left the milk and cookies on a chair near the fireplace, Booth and Brennan each grabbed a little girl and carried them off to their bedroom. While they tucked their children into bed, both parents wondered how they had gotten so lucky.

~THE END~

**A/N: Thank you all for taking this journey with me! Now that this story is over, I have an idea in the works on a new story... the next story will be a Fringe/Bones crossover... and I hope I will do it justice! :)**


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